MSNBC host Chris Matthews launched an attack on the Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on the Morning Joe program yesterday.

According to the Huffington Post Matthews charged the the GOP with playing the race card last week against President Obama when Mitt Romney made a widely criticized crack about his own birth certificate. Then the Romney campaign ran an ad which falsely claimed that Obama ended work requirements for welfare.

Said Matthews, 'It is an embarrassment to your party to play that card. This stuff about getting rid of the work requirement for welfare is dishonest — everyone's pointed out it's dishonest. And you are playing that little ethnic card there. You can play your games and giggle about it, but the fact is that your side is playing that card.'

Priebus, who looked shocked to be confronted in such a passionate manner, attempted to downplay Matthews' attacks by suggesting that Obama is looking to Europe now for guidance on healthcare, a claim that further enraged Matthews:

'What? Where do you get this from? This is insane! You mean the Keynesian fiscal policy, you mean the fact that every president we’ve had has tried to offset the economic cycle with stimulus going the other direction is somehow European?

"What’s this got to do with Europe and this foreignization of the guy? You’re doing it now! Saying he’s influenced by foreign influences? You’re playing that card again. What’s this European thing of yours? What are you up to with this constant that he’s not really domestic?'

Later,Matthews told Politico that he deeply resents politicians who attempt to divide the country along racial lines.

'It is obvious that this is something I care passionately about: race was abused by white politicians in my lifetime, including Reagan. For someone to come on the program and deny that this is part of their process, I couldn't take that,' Matthews explained.

'This is something I really, deeply believe in. We grew up in a country where appeals to race have been awful, terrible. This language -- we are beyond this. It had to be called out.'